Flight management has progressed from a compass and an altimeter in early aircraft, to typically complex integrated systems in jetliners and military aircraft. Flight management typically seeks to provide workload-reducing automation on the flight deck typically in combination with multi-sensor navigation capability. Avionics may seek to cover aircraft operation from takeoff to landing. Automating aircraft operation typically tends to reduce chances for operator error, fatigue, frees up flight crew time, and can allow for more precise operation of the aircraft.
A typical flight management system can be a computerized avionics component found on commercial and business aircraft to assist pilots in navigation, flight planning, and aircraft control functions. a conventional flight management system can be composed of various aircraft control functions, and navigation systems.
Navigation information may show the route programmed by the pilots, as well as other pertinent information from the database, such as standard departure and arrival procedures. Navigation information combined with the location of the aircraft may be used to create a moving map display showing the aircraft position and distances.
However, distance may not be of particular interest in various situations, and an avionics system capable of displaying aircraft information relative to parameters rather than distance may be useful.